Overmolded electronic components for transaction cards and methods of making thereof

ABSTRACT

A process for manufacturing a transaction card includes forming an opening in a card body of the transaction card; inserting an electronic component into the opening; and molding a molding material about the electronic component. A transaction card includes a molded electronic component.

This application is a continuation-in-part (CIP), and claims the benefitof priority, of PCT Application Ser. No. PCT/US2017/43954, filed 26 Jul.2017, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.62/367,362, titled OVERMOLDED ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS FOR TRANSACTIONCARDS AND METHODS OF MAKING THEREOF, filed 27 Jul. 2016, the contents ofboth of which are incorporated herein by reference in theft entirety forall purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to transaction cards with electronic componentsand methods for producing the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Metal payment cards present unique challenges when including electroniccomponents, such as inductive coupling payment modules, RF electronicand standalone electronic inlays. To accommodate these components, themetal is machined into various geometries, then the component is placedin the cavity and left exposed or hidden under a printed sheet ofplastic or other decorative element. The decorative element may beaffixed to the card through a variety of processes such as platenlamination, contact adhesive, curable adhesives, or “push fit” or anyjoining method known to the art. RF shielding is often required in thecavity, further complicating card assembly while maintaining the desiredaesthetic of the card.

Some of these required machining geometries remove significant amountsof metal or leave slits or holes through the card which weaken itsstrength and are undesirable aesthetically. In order to strengthen thecard and provide a desirable surface, overmolding and insert moldingtechniques have been developed to encapsulate electronic inlays withinthe cards and strengthen the card geometries. Furthermore, thisdevelopment has improved RF performance over existing designs because itenables more metal remove in critical RF transmission and receivingareas while maintaining structural rigidity and desired appearance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Aspects of the invention relate to transaction cards, processes formanufacturing transaction cards, as well as transaction cards producedaccording to the disclosed methods.

In accordance with one aspect, the invention provides for a process formanufacturing a transaction card and a transaction, card producedthereby. The process includes forming an opening in a card body of thetransaction card for receiving an electronic component; inserting theelectronic component into the opening; and molding a molding materialabout the electronic component.

In yet another aspect, the invention provides a transaction card. Thetransaction card includes a molded electronic component.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary, but are notrestrictive, of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is best understood from the following detailed descriptionwhen read in connection with the accompanying drawings, with likeelements having the same reference numerals. When a plurality of similarelements is present, a single reference numeral may be assigned to theplurality of similar elements with a small letter designation referringto specific elements. When referring to the elements collectively or toa non-specific one or more of the elements, the small letter designationmay be dropped. This emphasizes that according to common practice, thevarious features of the drawings are not drawn to scale unless otherwiseindicated. On the contrary, the dimensions of the various features maybe expanded or reduced for clarity. Included in the drawings are thefollowing figures:

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of selected steps of a process formanufacturing a transaction card in accordance with aspects of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2A is a photograph depicting an electronic component beforeovermolding in accordance with aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 2B is a photograph depicting an electronic component afterovermolding its accordance with aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 3A is a schematic illustration of the front of a transaction cardprior to insertion molding in accordance with aspects of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3B is a schematic illustration of the rear of a transaction cardprior to insertion molding in accordance with aspects of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3C is a schematic illustration of the front of a transaction cardafter to insertion molding in accordance with aspects of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 3D is a schematic illustration of the rear of a transaction cardafter to insertion molding in accordance with aspects of the presentinvention.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic illustrations of selected steps of an overmolding process for manufacturing a transaction card in accordance withaspects of the present invention.

FIG. 5A is an image depicting the front side of an exemplary card havingan encapsulated antenna surrounding the payment module.

FIG. 5B is an image depicting the back side of the exemplary card ofFIG. 5A.

FIG. 5C is an perspective view of an isolated exemplary encapsulatedantenna module prior to insertion of the payment module therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Aspects of the invention relate to transaction cards, processes formanufacturing transaction, cards, as well as transaction cards producedaccording to the disclosed methods.

In FIG. 1, a flow diagram depicting selected steps of a process 100 forproducing a transaction card according to aspects of the invention isshown. It should be noted that, with respect to the processes describedherein, it will be vii understood from the description herein that oneor more steps may be omitted and/or performed out of the describedsequence of the process while still achieving the desired result.

In step 110, an opening is formed in the card body of the transactioncard. The opening may be sized to accommodate one or more moldedelectronic components. The opening may extend partially (therebyforming, e.g., a pocket) or completely (thereby forming a hole) throughthe card body. In some embodiments, a hole formed through the card bodymay then be fully or partially covered on one side, such as with anapplied material, such as an adhesively bonded plastic material, such aselement 307 c, shown in FIG. 3D. As depicted in FIG. 3D, element 307 coverlaps an area surrounding the hole, to form a pocket bounded on theperiphery by the edges of the hole in the card body and on a bottom endby the applied material 307 c. The applied material may be a materialthat is the same or that is compatible with the molded material later tobe filled in the pocket. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3D, theapplied material 307 c overlapping the area surrounding the hole in thecard body, may have a through-hole 308 having an area smaller than thehole in the card body, so as to provide a “ledge” 309 of appliedmaterial inside the periphery of the hole in the card body.

The card body of the present invention may be comprised of any suitablematerial including any suitable metal, such as stainless steel, bronze,copper, titanium, tungsten carbide, nickel, palladium, silver, gold,platinum, aluminum, or any alloy which gives the card most of its body(structure) and weight. Additionally, or alternatively, the card bodydescribed herein may be comprised of any suitable polymeric (e.g.,polycarbonate, polyester) or inorganic (e.g., glass, ceramic) material,or any combination of any of the foregoing materials.

In step 120, an electronic component is inserted into the opening of thecard body.

In step 130, a molding material is molded about the electroniccomponent. It should be noted that the order of steps 120 and 130 may bevaried depending on the particular application.

In one embodiment, step 130 includes an overmolding process. During theovermolding process, a molding material is molded about (and typicallyover) an electronic component such that the molding material covers atleast a portion of a surface of the electronic component. Overmolding ofelectronic components may be accomplished using conventional andcommercially available equipment, such as the ENGLE insert (EngelAustria GmbH, Austria) and the Cavist MoldMan™ (Reno, Nev.).

An electronic component 201 is shown before (in FIG. 2A) and after (inFIG. 2B) an overmolding process. While the overmolded component 200 isdepicted as having molding material 205 completely covering electroniccomponent 201, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand thatvarying degrees of overmolding can achieve the desired structuralrigidity, functionality, and aesthetic of the transacts n card. Inparticular, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, electrical contacts, in theform of wires 210 and 220 connected to component 200, each have anunencapsulated end that protrudes from the overmolding to permitelectrical connection to the component. It should be understood, that,although depicted as wires in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the electrical contactsor other unencapsulated portions not limited to electrical contacts, maytake any shape or form. It should be further understood that certainembodiments, such as embodiments in which a technically desirable degreeof coupling between unencapsulated and encapsulated components can bemade through the encapsulation layer, the component may be completelyencapsulated.

Returning to FIG. 1, where an overmolding process is employed, step 130may be performed prior to performing step 120. That is, the electroniccomponent may be separately overmolded prior to insertion into theopening of the card body. Prior to the insertion of the overmoldedelectronic component, the overmolded component may be further machinedto remove excess molding material and/or to create features in themolding material which may be used to secure the overmolded electroniccomponent into the opening of the card body. For example, with referenceto FIG. 2B, a lip may be machined into molding material 205 so thatovermolded component 200 may be secured into the opening of a card body.

Alternatively, overmolding in step 130 may be performed after performingstep 120. In this embodiment, the electronic component is inserted intothe opening of the card body. Subsequently, molding material is forcedto flow into the opening of the card body and form over one or moreexposed surfaces, including at least the top surface, of the electroniccomponent. One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that whenmolding material flows into the opening of the card body, the card bodymaterial may be selected so as to withstand the pressure and heatassociated with overmolding without substantially deforming.

Where an insert molding process is employed, step 130 may be performedbefore performing step 120. Conventional insert molding processesinclude inserting vii the electronic component into a mold, followed bythe injection of molding material into the mold cavity to form themolded electronic component. The molded electronic component may befully or partially encapsulated by molding material following an insertmolding process.

Turning to FIGS. 3A-D, schematic illustrations of selected steps of aninsert molding process for manufacturing a transaction card inaccordance with aspects of the present invention are depicted. In thefigures, areas 305 and 308 in FIGS. 3A-3D represent holes through thecards. Area 307 a,b in FIG. 3A and area 307 c in FIGS. 3B and 3Drepresent partially covered holes (pockets) in the card body for themolding material to bind and find purchase. FIG. 3B depicts thecompleted molded card in which the insert molded material of moldedcomponent 310 is visible. Although the insert molded material is showncontrasting with the background card materials for purposes ofillustration, the molded component is not limited to any particulardegree of contrast in coloration or shading relative to the backgroundcard, and may comprise the same materials as the front of the card ormay comprise materials selected to have a coloration or shading selectedto match the coloration or shading of the front, side of the card so asto minimize its visibility in a completed card. For example, in a cardbody comprising materials different than the molding materials (e.g. ametal or ceramic body and thermoplastic resin molding materials), thecoloration of the molding materials may be selected have a color andtone that matches as closely as possible the material of the body,including using constituents in the molding materials that are the sameor similar to the card body materials (e.g. inclusion of a powderedmetal in the molding materials that is the same as the metal of thebody). In other embodiments, molding materials that contrast with thebody of the card may be used. FIG. 3A depicts the front side of atransaction card 300 including an opening 305 which extends entirelythrough a card body 302. A plurality of securing features 307 a, bprovide areas to which the molding material can adhere or otherwisebind. In the depicted embodiment, securing features 307 a,b are blindholes (e.g., pockets). A similar set of securing features 307 c arefound on the opposing rear side of transaction card 300 in FIG. 3B. Thegeometries of opening 305 and securing features 307 a, b, c wereselected to improve the RF performance of the metal transaction card300. Securing features 307 a, b, c may comprise a material that is thesame or otherwise compatible with the molding material, and differentthan the card body material, such that the molding material and thematerials of the securing features melt or otherwise join together witha bond that is relatively stronger than any bond created between themolding material and the card body.

FIG. 3C depicts the front side of the transaction card 300 after aninsert molded electronic component 310 has been placed into opening 305.In the depicted embodiment, molded electronic component 310 would bevisible on transaction card 300. The geometry of molded electroniccomponent 310 permits molded electronic component 310 to become securedto transaction card 300 through a biasing action created by securingfeatures 307 a,b,c. Alternatively, or additionally, molded electroniccomponent 310 may be adhered to opening 305 of transaction card 300using an epoxy resin such as Bisphenol, Novolac, Aliphatic, andGlycidylamine.

Excess molding material may be removed from molded electronic component310 (by, e.g., milling or machining) to incorporate additionalelectronic components or other desired components.

FIG. 4A depicts an exemplary overmolding process which a pocket 403 ismachined into card body 402 for receiving an electronic component 405.In the depicted embodiment electronic component 405 is a printed circuitboard (PCB), specifically an RFID module. While pocket 403 is depictedas traversing a substantial portion of the rear face of card body 402,one of ordinary skill in the art will understand the smaller openings ofvarying geometries may be suitable depending upon the electroniccomponent to be incorporated.

Pocket 403 may be sized to receive and fix into position electroniccomponent 405, or it may be sized to permit excess molding materialbetween the inner lip of pocket 403 and the outer edge of electroniccomponent 405. Electronic component 405 may additionally, oralternatively, be adhered to pocket 403 using an epoxy as describedabove.

Overmolded faceplate 410 creates the back face of transaction card 400.Overmolded faceplate 410 may completely or partially encapsulateelectronic component 405. Overmolded faceplate 410 may be preparedseparately and then attached to pocket 403 (using, e.g., a suitableepoxy as described above), or it may be formed by overmolding layers ofmolding material directly into pocket 403.

In an exemplary embodiment, the melding material used in overmoldedfaceplate is a plastic material which may enhance RF transmission wheretransaction card 400 is comprised of a metal or other RF-interferingmaterial.

As is known in the art, transaction cards with RFID chip modules forinductively coupling with a card reader of a point of sale (POS)terminal also typically have an embedded booster antenna structureconfigured that inductively couples the embedded antenna to the RFIDchip module, with the coupled antenna, RFID module, and card readerforming a circuit for transmitting information from the card to the cardreader. Thus, in an exemplary embodiment in which the RFID module is theencapsulated or partially encapsulated component (or one of a pluralityof electronic components that are processed as described herein), theantenna structure may be provided in any number of ways. In oneembodiment, the antenna structure may be embedded in a layer that isapplied to the card after the molding processes described herein. Theantenna-bearing layer may be laminated to the card using a non-heatprocess (such as with an adhesive), a heat lamination process conductedat a temperature, pressure, and duration that does not re-melt, deform,or otherwise detrimentally, disturb the molding over the electroniccomponent(s), or a backing sheet (comprising metal or some othermaterial not affected by the heat lamination) may be provided duringsuch a heat lamination step to prevent any re-melt or deformation of themolding from protruding from the opposite surface upon which thelamination step is being performed.

In another embodiment, the molding step may comprise art overmoldingstep that covers not only the electronic component as described herein,but also at least the portion of the card surface into which the antennastructure is to be later disposed. For example, a flood overmolding stepmay be conducted that, in addition to encapsulating or partiallyencapsulating the RFID module, also covers at least one entire surface(typically back, but also or instead may be the front) of the card in alayer having a desired thickness. The antenna may then be embedded, suchas using ultrasonic processes known in the art, into that overmoldedlayer. Any content to be printed on the surface of the card may also beprinted on, the overmolded layer surface, or an additional printinglayer may be attached, such as via adhesive or lamination. In otherembodiments, the antenna may be printed on the molding surface, orapplied as part of another layer that is attached over the moldedsurface, such as with adhesive or by lamination. The foregoing arenon-limiting examples, and it should be understood that infinitepossibilities exist for downstream processing of the resulting productof the processes described herein for providing a molded electroniccomponent in a card, and certain aspects of the invention are notlimited in any way by, later process steps.

In another embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. 5A-5C, a booster antenna 502for inductively coupling with the antenna of a payment module may takethe form of an annular metal frame that nearly surrounds the paymentmodule (e.g. a dual interface (DI) RFD chip). As depicted in FIGS.5A-5C, the antenna has a discontinuity or slit 506 that extends from aninner edge to an outer edge of the annular antenna. Such an antenna hasbeen generally described and characterized as an “amplifier” in U.S.Pat. No. 8,608,082 ('082 Patent) to Le Garrec et al. and a “couplingframe” in U.S. Pat. No. 9,812,782 (and others), to Finn et al.,incorporated herein by reference. As described in the foregoing, and inU.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/928,813, filed Mar. 22, 2018, titledDI CAPACITIVE EMBEDDED METAL CARD, assigned to the common assignee ofthe present invention, and incorporated herein by reference, a metalcard body itself may serve as such an antenna or amplifier, with a slit(e.g. 504, as depicted in FIGS. 5A and 5B) extending from the peripheryof the card to the pocket in which the payment module is mounted. Theslit may have any geometry, including but not limited to the steppedshape depicted in FIGS. 5A and 5B, any geometry described in the '813Application and related applications, or any geometry disclosed in theforegoing references.

As shown in FIG. 5C, metal antenna 502 is surrounded by theencapsulating materials to form an outer surround 520 and an innerregion 522, and the encapsulant also fills the slit 506 connecting theinner region to the outer surround. For illustrative purposes, theantenna is depicted in FIG. 5C without encapsulating materials coveringit in the Z direction, so that the antenna remains visible in thedepiction. In embodiments in which a metal body 500 of the card also isharnessed for signal amplification, the encapsulating material may alsofills the slit 504 in the metal body. It should be understood, however,that slit 504 may not be present in all embodiments. It should furtherbe understood that the card body may have more than one slit. Exemplaryalternative additional slit locations 554, 564, 574 are depicted indashed lines. For example, in one embodiment, the combination of slits504 and 554 intersecting with the chip pocket may form a bisection alongthe full length of the card, or the combination of slits 564 and 574intersecting with the chip pocket may together form a bisection alongthe full width of the card. It should be noted here that the term“bisect” is intended to mean that the line divides the card into twosections, but those sections are not necessarily equal in size. Althoughdepicted generally centered on the antenna aligned to the same line onopposite sides of the antenna, the combined slits may have anyrelationship to the antenna and to each other, including a relationshipwherein the slits on different sides of the antenna lie on parallel ornon-parallel lines, relationships in which the slits connect to adjacentrather than opposite sides of the antenna, relationships wherein theslits are not parallel to an edge of the card, or relationships whereinone or both of the slits are non-linear. For embodiments in which thecard is bisected, the remaining piece of the card may be bonded togetherby overmolding or other nonconductive adhesives or fillers. Although apreferred embodiment includes only a single bisection of the card bodyinto two discrete portions, a plurality of body slits nay divide thecard into more than two discrete portions. Bisected arrangements,generally, may minimize eddy currents.

Thus, antenna 502 as encapsulated as depicted in FIG. 5C defines a metalcontaining plug 550 which may either be created in its entirety and theninserted in an opening in the card body, or may be crewed in situ in theopening in the card body, such as by overmolding. After the plug isinserted in the pocket or molded in situ, a pocket may be created in theinner region 522 of the plug (e.g. by milling or any process known inthe art) to receive the payment module. Among the advantages of such adesign is that the metal card body may be formed with a through forreceiving plug 550. Preferably, the through-hole may be formed bymethods other than milling, such as stamping, etching, laser cutting, orthe like. Or, the card body may be formed initially with a through-hole,which may be particularly advantageous for a card body that is ceramic,cast metal, or metal-doped epoxy (such as is described in U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 67/730,282, filed Sep. 12, 2018, titledMETAL-DOPED EPOXY RESIN TRANSACTION CARD AND PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURE,assigned to the common assignee of the present application, andincorporated herein by reference). Then, the milling step to create thepocket to receive the payment module need only be performed in anon-metal encapsulating material, which is easier and takes less time tomill than metal. As is known in the art, the pocket for receiving thepayment module may be a stepped hole having a first, relatively greaterarea on the front surface of the card, and a second, relatively lesserarea on the back side of the card. By enlarging the area of the pocketin the card body into which the payment module is inserted, the overalllength of the slit 504 that must be cut into the metal card body (inembodiments in which the slit is present), can be minimized, also savingmanufacturing time. The foregoing improvements foster increased outputand efficiency.

In some embodiments, it may not be necessary or desired for the cardbody to serve as part of the booster antenna. In such embodiments, theopening in the card body may be relatively larger than as depicted inFIGS. 5A-5C, such that outer surround 520 has a width W separating themetal of the antenna 502 in the plug 550 from the card body that isoperable to acceptably minimize electrical/magnetic interference fromthe card body. The geometry of the plug 550 in such embodiments may bemore rectangular, with the innermost edge 560 of the plug positionedmore towards the center of the card body 500 to guide some of the RFsignal towards the center of the card, while the location of the DIpayment module remains essentially unchanged as depicted, to conform tothe relevant standard for the position of the contacts.

Although described, herein in connection with a metal card body, similarso geometries may be employed in non-metal cards. In addition to themethods of manufacture described herein, which are suitable for cardbodies of any materials (although particularly advantageous for metal,ceramic, and ceramic-coated-metal bodies), antenna 502 may be deployedin a plastic (e.g. PVC) card body, for example, by ultrasonically (orotherwise) embedding the metal component into plastic as an inlay withinthe card, thus replacing copper wire or etched antenna inlays. Theantenna geometry 502 as depicted can be described as a planar, annularmember having a nearly closed periphery, with a slit 506 that connectsthe inner periphery with the outer periphery of the annulus. Althoughdepicted in the exemplary embodiment as a single member, the antennastructure is not so limited and may comprise more than one member. Bycontrast, copper wire or etched antenna inlays typically create a spiralpattern of lines or wires with spaces radially separating the whorls ofthe spiral.

One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that suitable moldingmaterials will depend upon the type of molding, process used in step130. For example, where insert or overmolding is employed, thermoplasticmaterials such as TechnoMelt® meltable adhesive (Henkel), which mayinclude one or more materials from the group consisting of: EVA,metallocene polyalphaolefins, polyolefins including atacticpolyalphaolefins, block copolymers, polyurethane hot melts, andpolyamides and thermoset materials such as fiberglass reinforcedpolyester, polyurethane, bakelite, duroplast, melamine,Diallyl-phthalate, and polyimide may be used. One of ordinary skill inthe art will understand that other materials which can be renderedflowable in an overmolding or insert molding process may be used as wellincluding, but not limited to, powdered metals such as Rhodium,Aluminum, Titanium, Magnesium, Copper, Brass, Nickel, Monel, Inconel,Steels and alloys of the above.

In another embodiment, the molding material used in the overmolding orinsert molding process is a plastic material having a moldingtemperature range of approximately 150-300 C.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein withreference to specific embodiments, the invention is not intended to belimited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications may be madein the details within the scope and range of equivalents of the claimsand without departing from the invention.

What is claimed:
 1. A process for manufacturing a transaction cardcomprising the steps of: (a) forming an opening in a card body of thetransaction card, including at least a first securing feature as a blindhole pocket open only to a first face of the card body and at least asecond securing feature as a blind hole pocket open only to a secondface of the card body; (b) molding a molding material about anelectronic component by placing the electronic component in a mold andadding the molding material to completely encapsulate the component; andthen, after performance of steps (a) and (b), inserting and securing thecompletely encapsulated electronic component into the opening in thecard body, including using the first and second securing features forsecuring the molding material to the card body.
 2. The process of claim1, wherein the opening extends entirely through the card body.
 3. Theprocess of claim 1, wherein the molding material is a plastic having amolding temperature range of approximately 150-300 C.
 4. The process ofclaim 1, wherein the molding material is a polymeric material comprisingone or more of EVA, metallocene polyalphaolefins, polyolefins includingatactic polyalphaolefins, block copolymers, polyurethane hot melts,polyamides, fiberglass reinforced polyester, polyurethane, bakelite,duroplast, melamine, Diallyl-phthalate, and polyimide.
 5. The process ofclaim 1, wherein the molding material comprises a resin includingpowdered metal.
 6. The process of claim 5, wherein the card bodycomprises a metal, further comprising selecting the powdered metalincluded in the resin to provide for a color and tone of the moldingmaterial to match a color and tone of the body.
 7. The process of claim6, wherein the powdered metal included in the resin and the metal of thecard body comprise the same type of metal or alloy thereof.
 8. Theprocess of claim 5, wherein the powdered metal comprises one or more ofRhodium, Aluminum, Titanium, Magnesium, Copper, Brass, Nickel, Monel,Inconel, Steels and alloys of the above.
 9. The process of claim 1further comprising, after the molding step, the step of removing excessmolding material from the molded electronic component.
 10. The processof claim 1, wherein the opening is a pocket in the card body thatextends only partially through the card body.
 11. A transaction cardmanufactured according to the process of claim
 1. 12. The transactioncard of claim 1, wherein the electronic component comprises an antennaconfigured to inductively couple to a payment module.
 13. Thetransaction card of claim 12, wherein the antenna comprises a planar,metal, annular member having an antenna discontinuity that connects aninner region defined by the annular member to an outer region thatsurrounds the annular member, wherein molding material is disposed inthe antenna discontinuity, the inner region, and the outer region. 14.The transaction card of claim 13, wherein the card body is metal anddefines an outer periphery, the card body having at least one bodydiscontinuity from the outer periphery of the card body to the openingin the card body.
 15. The transaction card of claim 14, wherein the atleast one body discontinuity comprises at least two bodydiscontinuities, in which the at least two body discontinuities and theopening collectively bisecting the card body into at least two discreteportions.
 16. The transaction card of claim 14, further comprising thestep of disposing molding material in the at least one bodydiscontinuity.
 17. The process of claim 1, wherein the electroniccomponent comprises an antenna configured to inductively couple to apayment module, the antenna comprising a planar, metal, annular memberhaving an antenna discontinuity that connects an inner region defined bythe annular member to an outer region that surrounds the annular member,wherein the molding step disposes molding material in the antennadiscontinuity, the inner region, and the outer region.
 18. The processof claim 17, further comprising, after the antenna is disposed in thecard body, creating an opening in the molding material of the innerregion defined by the annular member, and securing the payment module inthe opening.
 19. The process of claim 17, further comprising creating atleast one body discontinuity from an outer periphery of the card body tothe opening in the card body.
 20. The process of claim 19, whereincreating the at least one body discontinuity comprises creating at leasttwo body discontinuities, wherein the at least two body discontinuitiesand the opening collectively bisect the card body into at least twodiscrete portions.
 21. The process of claim 1, wherein the card body hasdifferent materials of construction than the molding material, furthercomprising tailoring a coloration of the molding material to match acoloration of the body.
 22. A process for manufacturing a transactioncard comprising the steps of: (a) forming a pocket in a card body of thetransaction card, the pocket extending only partially through the cardbody and having an inner lip that defines a perimeter of the pocketadjacent an outer periphery of the card body, and; (b) molding a moldingmaterial about an electronic component by placing the electroniccomponent in a mold and adding the molding material to completelyencapsulate the component, the molding step comprises forming afaceplate configured to define one face of the transaction card thatincludes molding material extending between the inner lip of the pocketand an outer edge of the electronic component, and then, afterperforming steps (a) and (b); (c) inserting and adhesively attaching thefaceplate in the card pocket.
 23. The process of claim 22, wherein themolding material comprises a resin including powdered metal.
 24. Theprocess of claim 23, wherein the powdered metal comprises one or more ofRhodium, Aluminum, Titanium, Magnesium, Copper, Brass, Nickel, Monel,Inconel, Steels and alloys of the above.
 25. A transaction cardmanufactured according to the process of claim
 22. 26. The transactioncard of claim 25, wherein the electronic component comprises an antennaconfigured to inductively couple to a payment module.
 27. Thetransaction card of claim 26, wherein the antenna comprises a planar,metal, annular member having an antenna discontinuity that connects aninner region defined by the annular member to an outer region thatsurrounds the annular member, wherein molding material is disposed inthe antenna discontinuity, the inner region, and the outer region. 28.The transaction card of claim 25, wherein the card body is metal anddefines an outer periphery, the card body having at least one bodydiscontinuity from the outer periphery of the card body to the openingin the card body.
 29. The process of claim 22, wherein the electroniccomponent comprises an antenna configured to inductively couple to apayment module, the antenna comprising a planar, metal, annular memberhaving an antenna discontinuity that connects an inner region defined bythe annular member to an outer region that surrounds the annular member,wherein the molding step disposes molding material in the antennadiscontinuity, the inner region; and the outer region.
 30. The processof claim 29, further comprising, after the antenna is disposed in thecard body, creating an opening in the molding material of the innerregion defined by the annular member, and securing the payment module inthe opening.
 31. The process of claim 30, further comprising creating atleast one body discontinuity from an outer periphery of the card body tothe opening in the card body.
 32. The process of claim 31, whereincreating the at least one body discontinuity comprises creating at leasttwo body discontinuities, wherein the at least two body discontinuitiesand the opening collectively bisect the card body into at least twodiscrete portions.
 33. The process of claim 22, wherein the card bodyhas different materials of construction than the molding material,further comprising tailoring a coloration of the molding material tomatch a coloration of the body.
 34. The process of claim 33, wherein thecard body comprises a metal, further comprising selecting the powderedmetal included in the resin to provide for a color and tone of themolding material to match a color and tone of the body.
 35. The processof claim 34, wherein the powdered metal included in the resin and themetal of the card body comprise the same type of metal or alloy thereof.36. The process of claim 22, wherein the molding material comprises aresin including powdered metal.